Shadow Guardian
by Luana Starlight
Summary: This is the final chapter with the crossover between LOTRLabyrinth. Sometimes, what you never see can still be missing, though you don't know what it is.
1. Part I: Secret Revealed

AN: My sister got mad at me because this is the final chapter and I had no plans for making it longer. If you wish it to be longer as well, let me know. I will try to think of where to go with this. Also, I only own Aluna. If you have not read the first two parts, DO NOT read any further. Otherwise, enjoy.  
  
The sun shone bright and clear into the courtyard. Many people were gathered and all were cheering. That is, all except one. Covered in a dark cloak with the hood pulled up, no sign came from this figure of happiness.  
  
Aluna sighed. The years had passed so quickly. She had watched the baby, Aragorn, Estel, Elessar, or whatever you wanted to call him, grow into a fine young man. Soon, those years passed and he became a hardened Ranger, not one to believe in "fairy stories." She had watched him during his training years with the Rangers. She had watched him as he first met the Evenstar, Elrond's daughter, Arwen. Her heart rejoiced when they confessed their love for each other. She had watched Aragorn struggle through the journey to help destroy the One Ring.  
She shivered. The One Ring still brought terror into her when someone mentioned it. That little band of gold could have destroyed her home, her father, and even her people. Not that all her people accepted her. She was considered a Halfling (not a Hobbit, as they were so commonly called) by most pureblood fae. Half elf and half fae, she was not worth their time or conversation. The only place she had found welcome was Aboveground. And Aboveground was where the One Ring was.  
"Hooray for King Elessar!" the crowd cheered again.  
Aluna smiled sadly. She had watched him grow, but he would never know it.  
  
The crystal moon shone over the quiet Labyrinth. The only place that wasn't quiet was right in the center, the Goblin City which surrounded the Castle of the Goblin King. Jareth, the Goblin King and ruler of the Labyrinth, sat on the window ledge and looked out over his kingdom. Peaceful was the only way to describe it. For years, not one irate child had asked to have their annoying brothers or sisters taken away. The last child that had been here had been brought down by his daughter, for protection. Then, they had taken that little boy back up Aboveground to be cared for by Lord Elrond of Rivendell.  
He turned his hand over and a crystal appeared in it. He started to twirl it in and out of his fingers, as he had often done when he was bored. The same as his daughter, he had watched that little child grow up from afar. He hadn't minded so much but his daughter had seemed to be growing more attached as the child grew older. Jareth sighed and moved off the sill and further into the room. The crystal he was playing with got a little bigger and soon he could see that sunny courtyard.  
"Hooray for King Elessar!"  
  
After all the ceremonies were done, Aragorn, now known as King Elessar, and his wife, Arwen, went to a private sitting room. They were soon joined by family and friends. Arwen was swept aside by her twin brothers, who wanted to give her advice on "living with Estel." Elrond walked into the room and immediately went over before his daughter decided to hurt his two sons. Legolas and Gimli immediately sat down on the sofas, before the twins decided to spread themselves out. Aragorn just sat off to the side and smiled. This is what could be considered normal for him. Not the ceremonies that they just went through.  
"Of course, Ada," was the final sentence out of one of the twins.  
Arwen, now free from that conversation, came over and sat down beside her husband. Aragorn had everything that could make him happy. A beautiful wife, a loving family, friends, and now he was king of Gondor. It was just that something was missing and he didn't know what it was.  
"What's wrong, Estel?" Arwen asked.  
"I don't know. All through today, I felt like something was missing."  
Elrond looked over at his foster son, no, son-in-law, and watched him for a few seconds.  
"If you felt like something was missing, it was probably there," Elrond finally said.  
"What do you mean, Ada?"  
"Was it something important you were missing?"  
"No, not something. It was a someone. But who it was, I don't know."  
  
The tears came. She wished she could have gone to him while everyone was congratulating him. She wanted nothing more than to go up to him and tell him everything. She had watched out for him like he was her little brother. She loved him like a little brother, the brother she could never have. Now, she stood in the abandoned courtyard, watching the doors from the safety of the shadows. The shadows, where she had always been and where she would always be.  
Slowly, she disappeared. Soon, Aluna was standing in the gardens just in front of her mother's grave. Edana, the name engraved on the stone. The mother who had died giving her half-elf daughter life. Jareth loved his daughter as much as he missed his wife. Nothing would stop him from loving her. No matter how many times his family, especially his brother, told him to leave her Aboveground where she would be welcomed he couldn't do it. Aluna had been raised both in the Labyrinth and in the woods of her mother.  
  
"Oh, mother. What am I to do? My heart is torn. I miss you so much," Aluna mumbled through her tears.  
Jareth found her there, hours later, asleep on her mother's grave. He saw that her eyes were red from her crying and that was the only reason she slept. He gently picked her up and carried her into the castle.  
  
Elrond sighed. Aragorn was right. There had been someone missing during today's ceremonies. He thought she would have been there but he had not seen any sign of her. She had always been a small part of Estel's life, mostly played out in the shadows. She had been his little protector when the Elves couldn't be there. She was the reason Estel always came back safe and sound, in a manner of speaking. Sometimes she would let him come back a little worse for wear.  
"Ada, you know of what Estel speaks. Don't you?" Arwen asked, watching her father.  
"I do. I had hoped she would be there but I didn't see her."  
"She?" Legolas and Arwen asked at the same time.  
Elrond sighed, "I guess it is time I let you know of Aragorn's 'Shadow Guardian.'"  
"Shadow Guardian?" Aragorn repeated, confusion crossing his features.  
So Elrond began telling them. 


	2. Part II: Past, Present, Future

So Elrond began telling them.

"This story starts when Aragorn was brought to Rivendell. We had heard of the attack on the Dunedain. Several days after the attack, a group of elves found the campsite. Everyone was slaughtered and no one was left alive. I feared the worst when I was told that Gilraen was dead and no baby was found."

Elrond stopped and sighed, memories long since buried flooding him.

**"Ada, the scouting party has returned," came the shout.**

**Elrond of Rivendell stood up from his desk and made his way to the balcony connected to his study. He looked out into the main courtyard and watched the group dismounting. None of the riders carried the small bundle that was meant to be their hope. Elrond's greatest fear surfaced, that they had failed in keeping the Heir of Isildur alive.**

**Elrond turned around and made his way down to the courtyard. Once there, he talked with the scout leader, who confirmed that no one was alive in the camp. Everyone had been slaughtered, including the children. They had found the body of Gilraen, but she was dead and the baby she had been carrying had been born and had disappeared. There were no signs of wolves, so they could only assume that orcs had carried the baby off for amusement. That meant that the baby would never be found alive.**

**That night, Elrond sat in his room and stared out his window, watching the moon make her nightly journey across the heavens. But he wasn't paying attention to the beauty of the night, instead his attention was turned inwards.**

**'Why didn't I bring them here instead of the letting them remain in the camp? They would have been protected here, and neither her nor the child would have died. Why does fate have to be so cruel?'**

**Elrond stood up and moved to go out the door. A flash of moonlight caught something on a windowsill. He looked towards it and smiled. It was a crystal ball, perfectly formed and clear. That had been a present from a king, a king of goblins. Unlike the orcs, the goblins that he controlled were silly and stupid. Jareth, for that was his name, owed Elrond a favor for saving his life when some of his goblins came 'Aboveground', as they put it. It would have been so easy to allow Jareth to die, because he was fae, but Elrond felt no danger from Jareth so he saved his life.**

**He walked over to the crystal and picked it up. **_'If you ever need help, do not hesitate to call me. I will do whatever is in my power to help you.'_** That was what Jareth had told him all those years ago when he had handed the crystal to Elrond. For years, the crystal had stayed on his windowsill, untouched except by sunlight and moonlight. Elrond didn't know how much help the Goblin King would be, considering the baby could already be dead. So, he set the crystal back on the windowsill and left his room.**

**Later that night, as he was sitting in his study, he heard a commotion in the hallway. An elf came into his study and told him that he needed to return to his bedroom. His first thought was that his twin sons had done something again. When he was told that she didn't think it was his sons, he had no other choice but to return. When he got there, much to his surprise, he found a baby laying on his bed. And it wasn't just any baby, it was Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Gilraen. Preparations were soon made for the baby to be taken care of and Elrond knew of one stop that he had to make.**

_'Father, why do we not leave?'_** was what he heard next, from a voice that was soft and young.**

_'Because I am waiting for someone,'_** came the answer, this time from a voice that Elrond recognized.**

_'Who?'_

_'I believe he is waiting to talk to me,'_ **Elrond said, making his presence known.**

**The girl spun and watched as he walked into the clearing. Jareth hadn't changed in the years that Elrond hadn't seen him.**

_'It has been a long time, Jareth.'_

_'I would say too long, Lord Elrond,'_** Jareth answered.**

**Elrond glanced over before saying anything more. She looked like Jareth and even had some features like her mother. **_'I see you are doing well, especially if you now have a daughter.'_

**Jareth reached a hand back and the girl walked forward to be introduced.**

_'Lord Elrond, I would like to introduce my daughter, Aluna.'_

_'It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Aluna.'_

_'It is my pleasure, Lord Elrond.'_

**She was polite, a trait inherited from her mother, Edana, who was always soft-spoken and polite.**

_'I take it we have you to thank for the safe return of Estel.'_

**Jareth didn't say anything to that comment. His only action was to place his arm around her shoulders. That was all that was needed to send the message. It was Aluna who had saved the baby. Minutes later, Aluna was disappearing into the shadows, allowing Elrond and Jareth a few minutes to enjoy the quiet.**

**It was Elrond who broke the quiet,** _'She has her mother's eyes.'_

_'Yes, and her mother's love for all things living.'_

_'You have raised her well, Jareth. It must be hard because she is half elf.'_

_'I prefer to think of her as half fae. And yes, it was hard. I have tried to raise her in both the Aboveground, her mother's world, and the Underground, my world.'_

**Silence reigned again before Jareth turned to leave, following the path that his daughter had gone.**

_'Jareth, before you go. Are you going to be checking on the babe?'_

_'I may not be all the time but I can tell you who will be a frequent guest. She had grown quite attached to him.'_

_'Tell her she is welcome anytime she wished to see him.'_

**After that, Jareth and Elrond parted ways. Both had children to watch over and kingdoms to guard. Years would pass by and Elrond could always tell if the newly named 'Shadow Guardian' had been there. Estel had a knack for getting into trouble and not getting out of it without being badly injured. Unless, it was with someone's help.**

**Years later, Estel was a full-grown Ranger and quite capable of taking care of himself. Unless you wanted to count some of his habits, like falling asleep in bed after coming home late at night and barely making it there. Elrond would come in to find his young human son resting on top of his covers with a spare blanket thrown over him to keep him warm. More evidence of the 'Shadow Guardian.'**

"I had wondered if she had followed after you on the quest. But, I don't think we will know."

"You will find out now, Lord Elrond," another voice broke in.

Everyone in the room jumped up and turned to face the voice. There, standing in the shadows, was a man with a long, dark cloak on. His platinum blond hair stood out sharply in the shadows.

"Jareth," Elrond said.

"This is King Jareth, Ada?" Elrohir asked.

Jareth moved out of the shadows, quiet save for the rustle of fabric against fabric.

"I have come to extend my congratulations, young Estel. It is good to see someone taking control of this poor, misguided land."

"I am honored, King Jareth."

"I have also come to extend congratulations from someone else. My daughter wished to congratulate you but something came up and she couldn't make it."

"I have a feeling I know who you are talking about, King Jareth. Would it be possible for me to meet your daughter?"

"Convincing her might be a bit tough but I will see what I can do."

Jareth turned back to the shadows and started walking towards the wall.

"Uh, King Jareth, wouldn't it be easier to use the..." Elladan started to say.

Jareth disappeared into the shadows.

"Door?" Elladan finished after he disappeared.

"They do not move like we do, my son. But, I have a feeling the 'Shadow Guardian' will be reappearing very soon. And hopefully she won't remain as a shadow."

**As time passed, Aluna became a well-known sight Aboveground. She was soon reunited with an even older friend, one she had made when an incident had happened within her family. But, that is a story for another time.**

_**Fin**_

If anyone is interested in reading that story, I will be posting it later. I haven't come up with a title as of yet. It will be kind of a prelude to this small trilogy. The stories for this trilogy are as follows: 'Labyrinth: The Baby', 'Understanding', and 'Shadow Guardian'. Also, so you know, the story will focus on Aluna as a child. Below are some small excerpts from it:

**"I love you, daddy."  
****"I love you, too."  
****"Ah, isn't that sweet," another voice broke in.  
****Jareth and Aluna turned to where the voice was and Jareth saw the last person he wanted to see. His younger brother, Kerone. Aluna, though, wasn't fazed. She jumped out of her father's lap and went running up to her uncle to wrap him in a hug, even if it was only around his leg. Kerone looked down at his niece and a look of disgust crossed his face. Aluna let go of her uncle and took off out the door. She knew it was time for her to leave.**

Aluna turned to where she could hear the music. It was louder now and clearer. So she followed it. The music led her to a clearing in the middle of the woods. There were no trees over the clearing and the sunlight shown down brightly, making her cover her eyes again. When she could see without squinting, she looked out into the clearing. There were people out there who were dancing and laughing. Off to the side, people were eating and laughing some more. All were dressed in bright colors, not like the people who were in her grandparent's ballroom. Even her dress looked drab compared to these colors.

**"What is your name, child?"  
****"Princess Aluna of the Labyrinth."  
****"Princess!" was the exclamation that ran through the crowd.  
****Aluna looked around, wondering why they all seemed so shocked. The old man had stood up and was talking to the one that they had all been calling "your majesty." She couldn't understand what they were saying but it was obvious that they were talking about her. Several times they looked at her and each time the discussion was a little more animated.  
****Finally, "Well, then I'll just see if there is someone who will help her."  
****"Gandalf, you know the laws."  
****"Aluna," Gandalf started, "who is your father and mother?"  
****"My mommy is dead. She died when I was born. My daddy is King Jareth of the Underground."  
****"Is your father an elf?"  
****"No, my mommy was an elf. My daddy says that we are fairies."  
****The word 'fae' ran through the crowd and everyone stepped back from her. Aluna looked around in confusion, trying to understand why being a fae was so bad. Gandalf was the only who hadn't stepped back from her.**


End file.
